Author Archive
Today we have added 8 new volumes to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s additions include the parishes of Our Lady of Ostrobrama in Brockton and St. Michael the Archangel in Haverhill. This update includes over 660 pages, 4,000 records and over 16,000 searchable names. Both of these parishes were originally created to serve the Polish community.
In Brockton, the parish called Our Lad of Ostrobama was founded in 1914. The first pastor was Father Thomas Misicki, and services were initially held in a garage. Some years later, Father Ignatius E. Limont started work on a stucco red-tiled church, and it was blessed on July 4, 1934.
St. Michel the Archangel in Haverhill was founded in 1910 under Father Alexander Syski, who built the brick church dedicated on September 17, 1911. In 1940, this parish was trusted to the care of the Franciscan order.
The volumes published today are:
• Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton) Baptisms, 1914-1919
• Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton) Baptisms, 1914-1920 (Part 1)
• Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton) Marriages, 1914-1920 (Part 2)
• Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton) Confirmations and Deaths, 1914-1920 (Part 3)
• Our Lady of Ostrobrama (Brockton) Marriages, 1914-1919
• St. Michael the Archangel (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1909-1920
• St. Michael the Archangel (Haverhill) Marriages, 1909-1920
• St. Michael the Archangel (Haverhill) Various, 1913-1920
If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we have added 23 new volumes, to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s addition includes the parishes of St. Ann in Gloucester, St. Joseph in Haverhill, Immaculate Conception in Salem, and Our Lady of Sorrows in Sharon. This update includes over 3,700 pages, 33,000 records and over 128,000 searchable names.
St. Ann in Gloucester began in 1855 when the old Baptist church was purchased and remodeled. The Catholics in Gloucester built a new, bigger church in 1881. Prior to 1855, Gloucester Catholics may have traveled to St. Mary (Salem) (which became Immaculate Conception) to worship.
St. Joseph was the French-Canadian parish in Haverhill.
The volumes published today are:
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1897-1908
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1908-1913
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1913-1918
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1918-1919
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Baptisms, 1919-1920
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Confirmations, 1911-1920
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Marriages, 1907-1908
• St. Ann (Gloucester) Marriages, 1908-1920
• St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1904-1907, 1913-1917
• St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1908-1913
• St. Joseph (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1918-1920
• St. Joseph (Haverhill) Marriages, 1914-1920
- Immaculate Conception (Salem) Baptismal Record of Marriages, 1908-1910
- Immaculate Conception (Salem) Baptisms of Converts, 1908-1920
- Immaculate Conception (Salem) Confirmations, 1913-1920
- Immaculate Conception (Salem) Marriages, 1901-1920
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon) Baptisms, 1906-1920
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon) Confirmations, 1909-1918
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon) Deaths, 1906-1909
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon) Marriages, 1906-1920
- Our Lady of Sorrows (Sharon) Various, 1906-1917
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we have added 11 new volumes, and updated 2 others, to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s addition includes the parishes of Immaculate Conception in Revere and St. Joseph in Medford, and includes over 1,200 pages, 16,000 records and over 50,000 searchable names.
Revere was initially part of the parish of St. Rose of Lima in Chelsea, and then became a mission of Immaculate Conception in Everett. In 1888, work began on a church of their own for Revere’s Catholics. In 1883 St. Joseph (Medford) became its own independent parish, previously being part of the church in Malden.
The volumes published today are:
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Baptisms, 1902-1912
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Baptisms, 1908-1912
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Baptisms, 1912-1918
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Baptisms, 1919-1920
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) First Communions and Confirmations, 1914-1920
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Marriages, 1908-1919
• Immaculate Conception (Revere) Marriages, 1919-1920
• St. Joseph (Medford) Baptisms, 1883-1901 (updated)
• St. Joseph (Medford) Baptisms, 1902-1907
• St. Joseph (Medford) Baptisms, 1908-1918
• St. Joseph (Medford) Baptisms, 1918-1920
• St. Joseph (Medford) Marriages, 1883-1907 (updated)
• St. Joseph (Medford) Marriages, 1908-1920
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we’ve added 13 new volumes and updated 4 volumes in the database Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920. This update adds over 4,000 new pages to browse. The new and updated parishes include Holy Trinity in Lawrence and Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cambridge.
If you need help navigating the image-only collection, please consult our most recent webinar, Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Records Project: We’re Expanding!
The new and updated volumes in Massachusetts: (Image-Only) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, 1789-1920 are listed below:
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Baptisms, 1904-1910
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Baptisms, 1910-1914
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Baptisms, 1914-1918
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Baptisms, 1918-1920
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Confirmations, 1913-1920
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Marriages, 1904-1917
• Holy Trinity (Lawrence) Marriages, 1917-1920
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1899-1902 – Updated
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1902-1905
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1905-1913
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1913-1920
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Confirmations and First Communions, 1902-1920
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Marriages, 1897-1920 – Updated
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1884-1901 – Updated
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1900-1908 – Updated
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1908-1912
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1913-1919
Please note: This database is available to all NEHGS members. Learn more about becoming a NEHGS guest member (free).
Today we have added 14 new volumes, and updated 6 others, to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s addition delivers the parishes of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Cambridge, Sacred Hearts in Malden, Sacred Heart in Natick, and St, Mary of the Annunciation in Melrose. This update includes over 3,300 pages, 47,000 records and over 130,000 searchable names.
The first Catholic church in Cambridge, Sacred Heart of Jesus was originally called St. John. Sacred Hearts in Malden was established in East Malden in 1890 as the Catholic population grew. The Sacred Heart in Natick church was dedicated in 1888 and was set off as a separate parish in 1890.
The volumes published today are:
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1899-1902 (updated)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1902-1905
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1905-1913
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Baptisms, 1913-1920
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Confirmations and First Communions, 1902-1920
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Marriages, 1897-1920 (updated)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1884-1901 (updated)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1900-1908 (updated)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1908-1912
• Sacred Heart of Jesus (Cambridge) Sick Calls, 1913-1919
• Sacred Hearts (Malden) Baptisms, 1898-1906 (updated)
• Sacred Hearts (Malden) Baptisms, 1906-1914
• Sacred Hearts (Malden) Baptisms, 1914-1920
• Sacred Hearts (Malden) Marriages, 1891-1912 (updated
• Sacred Hearts (Malden) Marriages, 1913-1920
• Sacred Heart (Natick) Marriages, 1908-1920
• St. Mary of the Annunciation (Melrose) Baptisms, 1906-1916
• St. Mary of the Annunciation (Melrose) Baptisms, 1916-1920
• St. Mary of the Annunciation (Melrose) First Communions, 1916-1920
• St. Mary of the Annunciation (Melrose) Various, 1912-1915
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
We are very excited to announce a new database: The Narragansett Historical Register. The Narragansett Historical Register was published from 1882 to 1891, and described itself as “A magazine devoted to the Antiquities, Genealogy and Historical Matter illustrating the history of the Narragansett Country, or Southern Rhode Island. The stated aim of this magazine was “to collect into one publication the History of the Narragansett Country or Southern Rhode Island.” The editor, James N. Arnold, (1844 – 1927) was a collector and publisher of genealogical and historical records of the state of Rhode Island. He is most famous for the publication of the 21-volume set entitled The Vital Record of Rhode Island (1636-1850), which is also a database on American Ancestors.
This database is organized into 9 volumes with one for each year of publication. There are over 3,300 pages, and 5,500 records and names. All records have the date of the year of publication.
The entire run of The Narragansett Historical Register is also available at our NEHGS Boston research library, call number F87.N2 N36 1882.
We are grateful to the many dedicated volunteers who indexed all the names for this project, including: Val Abrahamsen, Loretta Aldrich , Wilmine Bernavil , Carol Botteron, Jeanne Brown , Karen Buchinger, Peg Camp, Fran Danico , Suzie Donah , Phyllis Doucette, Ruth Green , Elizabeth Handler, Jane Himmel , Pamela Hugie, Nancy Johnson , Bill Kerrigan , Joan Koesterherm , Maryanne Legrow, Jan Lundquist, Nina Manno, Linda Mathew, Donna McClure, Bruce McKeeman , Susan Morath, Therese Mosorjack , Patty Ryburn , Kay Sencabaugh , Renda Smith , Gale Stevenson , Linda Weaver, Jaimie Williams-Peterson, Gail Wine, Mara Witzling, Elaine Wood, and Rich Wood. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
We are very happy to announce a new database: Salem, MA: United States 1810 Census. This project is the result of a partnership between the Phillips Library/Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and American Ancestors/NEHGS.
Censuses enumerated from 1790 to 1820 were originally filed in their respective district court (state) or superior court (territory). Eventually, in 1830, the courts were asked to forward their 1790-1820 census holdings to the Department of State. Unfortunately, some courts took poor care of the first four censuses, so many of these records have been lost or presumed lost, as was the case with the 1810 census for the City of Salem.
In 2021, it was discovered that The Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum had the only surviving copy. Before returning the original pages to the National Archives and Records Administration (the current guardian of historic US Federal Censuses) the Phillips Library digitized the pages in color. These pages were provided to NEHGS to be indexed and are now available for the first time in a searchable form in this new database.
This database contains the full 100 pages of the 1810 Federal Census with over 2,200 records and searchable names. It is searchable by first and last name. All records are of type Census, and they are records with the location Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Rhonda McClure has written a blog about the re-discovery of the Salem Census of 1810 in Vita Brevis. A searchable index of the rest of the United States 1810 Census is also available on American Ancestors.
We thank our volunteer John Hagerty, who indexed all the names for this project. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to both guest and Individual NEHGS members. Consider membership.
Today we have added 6 new volumes to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 () database. Today’s addition delivers the parishes of St. Patrick in Lowell, and St. Rita in Haverhill. This update includes over 600 pages, 12,000 records and over 44,000 searchable names.
St. Patrick was Lowell’s first parish, and the large church building was dedicated on July 3, 1831.
St. Rita’s was established for the Lithuanian and Italian communities in Haverhill. The wooden framed church of St. Rita was dedicated on October 10, 1915. It was originally a mission of St. James parish.
The volumes published today are:
• St. Patrick (Lowell) Baptisms, 1908-1915
• St. Patrick (Lowell) Baptisms, 1915-1920
• St. Patrick (Lowell) Confirmations, 1901-1920
• St. Patrick (Lowell) Marriages, 1908-1920
• St. Rita (Haverhill) Baptisms, 1915-1920
• St. Rita (Haverhill) Marriages, 1915-1920
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we have added 5 new volumes for the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920. Today’s addition is for Our Lady of the Assumption in Chelsea and includes over 200 pages, 2,00 records, and 6,000 searchable names.
In 1903 and 1907 the Society of the Assumption petitioned for a separate French congregation to be established in Chelsea. Starting on May 5, 1907 the worship began in the basement of St. Rose’s parish school. The following year a basement church was built on Broadway. The construction of the upper church began in 1924, and it was dedicated on November 28, 1925 by Father Rabel
The five new volumes in this release are:
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Chelsea) Baptisms, 1912-1920
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Chelsea) Confirmations, 1914-1920
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Chelsea) Deaths, 1912-1920
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Chelsea) First Communions, 1911-1920
• Our Lady of the Assumption (Chelsea) Marriages, 1912-1988
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.
Today we have added 7 new volumes to the Massachusetts: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Records, 1789-1920 database. Today’s addition delivers the parishes of St. Margaret of Scotland in Brockton, St. Colman of Cloyne in Brockton, and St. Stephen in Framingham. This update includes over 700 pages, 10,000 records and over 40,000 searchable names.
St. Colman of Cloyne was founded in 1910 in the eastern side of Brockton. Father Joseph J. Dermody constructed a basement church. His successor Rev. William J. Fennessy finished the upper structure and it was dedicated on October 7, 1928.
St. Margaret of Scotland in Brockton was also a basement church in 1903. The superstructure was blessed on August 17, 1924 and the dedication by Cardinal O’Connell was October 7, 1928.
St. Stephen was established as a parish in 1878. St. George in the Saxonville neighborhood of Framingham was the first Catholic church in the area. St. Bridget and St. Stephen (in South Framingham) branched off from St. George.
The volumes published today are:
• St. Colman of Cloyne (Brockton) Baptisms, 1911-1920
• St. Margaret of Scotland (Brockton) Baptisms, 1902-1913
• St. Margaret of Scotland (Brockton) Baptisms, 1913-1920
• St. Margaret of Scotland (Brockton) Confirmations, 1902-1913
• St. Margaret of Scotland (Brockton) Marriages, 1902-1908
• St. Margaret of Scotland (Brockton) Marriages, 1908-1920
• St. Stephen (Framingham) Baptisms, 1902-1926
We’d like to thank Sam Sturgis for his help making these parishes available online. If you would like to become part of the team working on rewarding genealogical projects, please contact Rachel Adams, Database Services Volunteer Coordinator via email at rachel.adams@nehgs.org.
Please note: This database is available to Individual-level and above NEHGS members only. Consider membership.